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I recently decided to move, and narrowed down my options to four potential cities...and DC was the one that fit the bill the most. While I have visited twice, I want to know from residents how you like living here, and get the inside scoop on lifestyle, people and crime. What's up with the crime?? I would be coming from Long Island. In my late 20's

DC definitely is one of the top 10 cities in America and a great place to go to college or grad school. The city has come a long way entertainment wise since the MCI Center (where NBA/NFL) was built which turned Chinatown into the entertainment hub of downtown bringing with it resturants, theater, museums, and clubs into an area that previously had nothing.

As a negative, there are parts of the city that are pretty but its not as scenic as points out west. Also the economy is not very diverse outside of the government/government servies arena. Most of the corporations in town are servicing government accounts.

The crime's not that bad and its improving. We had a shooting last year across the street which was kinda bad, but other than that I think I only know of three or four beak-ins this year on our block, which is better than last year where we were pushing 8 by June. And I dont think this year any of them involved aggravated assault, so thats a plus too.

I used to worry about it but my wife convinced me to get some bullet proof glass for our Lexus IS230 and its not that big a deal anymore. Plus, if I hit anyone with the car I don't have to worry as much about them coming through the windshield, so its actually a pretty good thing. Speaking of cars, you should check out the police auctions, we got our Lexus there in 07 for a REALLY good deal. The backseat was stained with blood (I think someone got stabbed in the back, or at least thats what the cops told us) but I was able to throw a nice duvet over it and some throw pillows I picked up from Pottery Barn so that pretty much fixed it right up. You cant even tell. If you want to buy it, its got 138k miles and we are thinking of upgrading at the next auction. Feel free to PM me if you want it. The downside to the reduced drug trade is also fewer options at the auctions though, so I dont know for sure we can upgrade... unfortunately lately its just been a bunch of burned out hummers or nissans that smell funny.

And anyway, if it really worries you you should look into getting some reinforced carbon steel bars for your windows. You'll see em all over the place in the ghettos of Georgetown and Foxhall and they are REALLY good at keeping the riff raff out. We had them installed on our basement windows after my wife found a guy masterbating while sitting on our boiler. We were lucky there cause she just happened to turn on the radiator heat and the guy screamed so we caught him. After those burns he wont be back! So we had the reinforced carbon steel installed last year and haven't had any problems since. Some people do it on the first floor too, but I think it looks ugly. Who wants to feel like they are in prison again? I sure don't. Plus, its kind of expensive to do so the much cheaper option is to pick up some barbed wire from home depot (they sell it in the back next to the roach killer, which I also recommend you stock up on) and just drape some of that over your azaleas in the front and back of your house. Sometimes squirrels get caught in it and its a real pain to clean up but if you get some reddish pink azaleas the squirrel guts are less obvious. Don't get white ones like we did, boy was that a mistake..... we had to replant everything in November last year cause it looked like some ax murderer had come through our shrubbery. My wife wants to plant some dogwoods this year too, so we're looking for how to hide the barbed wire in those.

There are many areas of DC that have no worse crime than NYC or Chicago or LA. It's just that certain parts like congress heights and trinidad have crime off the charts, which raise the district-wide statistics.

Nobody's taking my Ipod/phone no matter where I am...ran track/wrestling 4 years during H.S! But I wouldn't be flashing it out in the open no matter where I am. In NYC, which is 45 minutes from where I live now, is very safe, however, at night, even in safe areas of Midtown, Central Park, Time Square and especially downtown you have to be a little careful.

In New York, especially the outer boroughs there are some very rundown and seedy areas, that I have yet to see anything like in DC. I've been to Anacostia, Brookland and Hillcrest looking for investment properties for the company I worked with last year here in NY, and thought they weren't that bad...at least appearance wise. Yeah there were some scetchy people, but it wasn't the south Bronx! They seem to revitalize and take care of the streets much faster than I've seen in NYC & Queens.

How is the job market for real estate/finance, I've sent some resumes, but nothing yet, are companies not interested in out of state applicants. Move first? then look? thanks

There are many areas of DC that have no worse crime than NYC or Chicago or LA. It's just that certain parts like congress heights and trinidad have crime off the charts, which raise the district-wide statistics.

How is the job market for real estate/finance, I've sent some resumes, but nothing yet, are companies not interested in out of state applicants. Move first? then look? thanks

Jobs abound. If you want to PM me for me to look for a fit at my firm I'm happy to. My advice, find job, then move.

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